i spoke to robert dixon last week and asked him this question, and unfortunalty the answer is no

he says that andrew kane has a scrap book, but the pictures tend to be the ones of the stands at the shows (that are on the internet now)

as robert said, in those days it was work, you didnt give any thought to people wanting to see photos 40-50 years later, a real shame, i bet the locked 'downton stores' (that only two people had a key for!) would have been something to see.

he did, instead of having a motherlode of photos, tell me two stories.

1) every saturday morning there would be a queue of cars that had come over the border, all waiting to have minilights fitted, they would open up, flick the tyres off the steel rims, put them on the minilights and the lads would drive back over the border with no checks or duty to pay(brexit style... )

i asked him what they did with all the steel s rims and the somewhat pained answer was they simply threw them into the footings of the new building that was been built, he said there must be hundreds of them under the concrete floor!!!

2) in a similar 'brexit' vein, a lad at kanes had a beetle, he used to 'deliver' heads and carbs to the lads in the south by hiding them behind the back seat and driving over the border!

Unfortunately, most of my old pictures from Kirkistown and other interesting venues in County Down have gone the way of the Do Do bird. I did come upon another program from Aug 26th 67. Here is the front cover showing Robert Rennicks and Archie Phillips battling it out at Kirkistown. There is ad. from Kanes in this program but no actual pictures. Andrew actually bought my Green/white 1071 in Aug 67 (4605 MZ) The car remained in N.Ireland for a number of years. It is now in England...however, re-shelled...painted red and sports a 1275 engine. Apparently, it has been used in some rallying events in England. I ran this car at Kirstown myself in 65/66...was a young student at the time. The car was given some additional mods at Kanes during my ownership...not sure if it qualifies as a Downton car...... but it did have a Downton plate on the rocker cover. In addition, remember every Saturday morning...a few of us young lads would take the trolley bus down into the center of Belfast to visit Paddy Hopkirk's little store to drool and dream.......(think it was Church Street).The store was tiny...barely enough room for all three of us to move around. Anyone in N. Ireland have any pictures of Paddy's speed shop in Church street.

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I have a picture of Kane’s showroom that I will post up once I have worked out how to do it. I took a picture of it on my phone. Where did I get it - hanging up in Robert’s office!!Robert lent me an old file last week that Jim McClements had given him a few years ago. There are a few old 1960’s brochures in it and a copy of a road test of the bronze yellow Mini Clubman that is on Kane’s Ulster Motorshow stand.Another story I heard many years ago was a Downton tuned Midget in for a service that was taken out on test and ended up going through a hedge, fortunately with minimal damage.

Mark would love to hear Eric’s stories of his many years in Kane’s garage.

I certainly would, & would love to add a bit more to the main site on Kane's too.

Our gang went to a big show in County Tyrone today and some photographs follow. The first one is of my friend Eric Patterson who worked in Kane’s of Comber for 37 years. He is pointing to their window sticker on a 1300 GT. As always car racing raised its head and Eric loves to reminisce and hark back to old times. When one talks about Kane’s and Downton preparation many think Jim McClements was the senior mechanic and the Downton specialist. Today I asked Eric did he remember Freddy Heaney who was the senior Downton mechanic at Kane’s and also an amazing driver and Eric did. I’ve said this before on this forum, Archie Philips (Da Philips) was an extraordinary driver and was nearly unbeatable over here from about 1964 to 1969 in saloon car racing.

Freddy Heaney was up there ahead of McClements and Andrew Kane in my opinion, who remembers him?

Alan

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I have had a few discussions with Jim McClements and Robert Dickson about their time in Kanes over the last few years before Jim died nearly four years ago. My understanding was that Freddie Heaney was the original Downton specialist at Kanes but left sometime in the mid 1960's and Ernie Kane approached Jim McClements, who was running his own garage at Six Road Ends, to take over. Jim left in the early 1970's.

One of the last times I spoke to him, I asked him to check over a cylinder head that I had bought. I was told it was genuine Downton. Thankfully he gave it the thumbs up!

It was interesting to read the early history of 4605MZ as told by 360GTS.It was the 1991 Pirelli Marathon winner, driven by Ronnie McCartney, prepared by Mervyn Johnston and owned by Beatty Crawford. The last time I saw it. it was on display in Tom Turkington's fabulous Mini collection in Ballywalter but that was quite a few years ago. I am not sure where it is now.

I have had a few discussions with Jim McClements and Robert Dickson about their time in Kanes over the last few years before Jim died nearly four years ago. My understanding was that Freddie Heaney was the original Downton specialist at Kanes but left sometime in the mid 1960's and Ernie Kane approached Jim McClements, who was running his own garage at Six Road Ends, to take over. Jim left in the early 1970's.

One of the last times I spoke to him, I asked him to check over a cylinder head that I had bought. I was told it was genuine Downton. Thankfully he gave it the thumbs up!

It was interesting to read the early history of 4605MZ as told by 360GTS.It was the 1991 Pirelli Marathon winner, driven by Ronnie McCartney, prepared by Mervyn Johnston and owned by Beatty Crawford. The last time I saw it. it was on display in Tom Turkington's fabulous Mini collection in Ballywalter but that was quite a few years ago. I am not sure where it is now.

Kind regardsRobert

Robert, thank you for your input much appreciated. Two questions for you. The first one:- is Freddy Heaney still alive? The last time I met Freddy Heaney about 30 years ago was when I went to view a car Ernie Kirkpatrick had for sale. I also talked to Jim Brennan at that visit, both were Downton men and superb Mini drivers.

Eric Patterson his old work mate thinks he married a woman from Dublin?

I have had a few discussions with Jim McClements and Robert Dickson about their time in Kanes over the last few years before Jim died nearly four years ago. My understanding was that Freddie Heaney was the original Downton specialist at Kanes but left sometime in the mid 1960's and Ernie Kane approached Jim McClements, who was running his own garage at Six Road Ends, to take over. Jim left in the early 1970's.

One of the last times I spoke to him, I asked him to check over a cylinder head that I had bought. I was told it was genuine Downton. Thankfully he gave it the thumbs up!

It was interesting to read the early history of 4605MZ as told by 360GTS.It was the 1991 Pirelli Marathon winner, driven by Ronnie McCartney, prepared by Mervyn Johnston and owned by Beatty Crawford. The last time I saw it. it was on display in Tom Turkington's fabulous Mini collection in Ballywalter but that was quite a few years ago. I am not sure where it is now.

Kind regardsRobert

Robert, thank you for your input much appreciated. Two questions for you. The first one:- is Freddy Heaney still alive? The last time I met Freddy Heaney about 30 years ago was when I went to view a car Ernie Kirkpatrick had for sale. I also talked to Jim Brennan at that visit, both were Downton men and superb Mini drivers.

Eric Patterson his old work mate thinks he married a woman from Dublin?

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